LABOUR rebels including Birmingham MPs Khalid Mahmood and Sion Simon may be hoping to get top jobs once Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister, a Black Country MP has claimed.

David Winnick (Walsall North) called for an end to the in-fighting within the party.

And he attacked MPs who resigned as Ministerial aides in an attempt to force Tony Blair out of office, including Mr Mahmood. Mr Winnick said there was a feeling that some were acting with genuine motives but others "were possibly looking for what other ministerial positions are likely to follow the change at Number 10."

His comments followed claims by Mr Blair's allies that Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, was the mastermind behind the plot, which also includes Sion Simon (Lab Erdington) and Tom Watson (Lab West Bromwich East).

The Prime Minister publicly pledged yesterday that Labour would have a new leader within a year.

The long-awaited statement was the first time he had personally confirmed his plans.

Mr Watson said last night the statement had been enough to halt the rebellion but he would be standing by his resignation as a junior Minister, made in protest at Blair's failure to set a firm timetable for his departure.

Mr Watson said he 'welcomed' the statement Mr Blair made yesterday.

The Prime Minister said: "The next party conference in the next couple of weeks will be my last party conference as party leader."

But he rejected demands to name the exact date of his departure, saying: "I'm not going to set a precise date now. I don't think that's right."

Mr Brown offered his support to the Prime Minister in his own statement yesterday.

But he also confirmed that he had demanded answers from Mr Blair, saying: "There are questions about what happens in the time to come and it's right to say that I, like others, have had questions myself."

And Mr Brown appeared to call on the Prime Minister to make his plans public, saying: "This cannot and should not be about private arrangements but what is in the best interests of our party, and most of all the best interests of our country."